Composite exterior cladding panel

ABSTRACT

A new cladding panel for use on recreational vehicles is produced by either a hand-laid or vacuum infusion process. In hand-laid method, the cladding is formed by first introducing and curing a layer of gel coat onto a mold surface. Layers of fiber reinforced resin material are subsequently laid onto the gel coating and molded to form the cladding panel. In the vacuum infusion process, the gel coating is first laid onto a mold surface of a vacuum infusion mold, and then a dry ply materials are laid onto the gel coating. The mold is closed and a resin component is infused into the dry laminate material under vacuum pressure and cured. The cladding panels produced by these methods produced are seamless and have limited waste associated with post-production trimming processes. Cladding panels produced using the vacuum infusion process have a more consistent composition and achieve improved part-to-part consistency.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority from provisionalapplication Serial No. 60/420,153, filed Oct. 22, 2002.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention generally relates to reinforced claddingpanels and more specifically to composite exterior cladding panelswithout a separate backer material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is commonplace with recreational vehicles, such as campers ormotor homes, to use glass fiber-reinforced wall panels, or claddingpanels, for some of their exterior surfaces. These wall panels can varyin width up to, for example, 1.6 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet), and canhave lengths of up to 12 meters (40 ft.) or more. While the compositematerial from which the panels are made provides an adequate materialfor the recreational vehicle side walls, the presently utilizedprocesses and equipment for manufacturing the composite materialinvariably may emit volatile organic compounds, (VOC's), both within thefacility and as exhaust to the atmosphere.

[0004] One process of making the composite materials first begins withuse of an elongate mold. The molds are slightly larger than the panelsto be produced. The upper surface of the molds are finished to provide asubstantially flat and smooth surface, since this surface forms thevisible exterior surface of the panels.

[0005] The prepared mold is first sprayed with a coating known as a gelcoating, which cures to form a high gloss exterior surface for thepanel. Once cured, a resin material and fiberglass, referred to aslaminate, are applied to the top surface of the gel coating, and then aplurality of panels, typically hard board (such as luan panels) arepositioned side by side on top of the fiberglass. The seams between thepanels are covered with a seam reinforcement material, and a vacuum bagis then placed over the top of the panels and a slight vacuum isintroduced to hold laminate and wood in compression during cure to forma finished product. Once the molding process is complete, the product ispulled from the mold and cut and trimmed to the proper size.

[0006] One method of applying the gel coating and laminates is tomaintain the elongate mold in a stationary fashion, and move thegel-coating and laminate sprayers longitudinally and spray the entirelength of the elongate mold. While this provides for an excellent layerof gel coating and laminate on the mold, capturing the fumes of the gelcoating and laminate (resin) can be difficult, due to the movement ofthe sprayers and size of the mold. Alternatively, a mold may be movedunder a gelcoat and resin applicator, such as described in commonlyassigned copending application Ser. Nos. 09/998,731 and 09/997,893,filed Nov. 30, 2001, entitled “PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING RESIN-BASEDCOMPOSITE MATERIAL” to Miller, which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety (“Miller”).

[0007] Additionally, a natural product is typically used as a backermaterial, such as luan. Luan is typically available in sheets of 1.2meters×2.4 meters (4 ft.×8 ft.) dimensions, and creates processing andcosmetic inherent to the material. These drawbacks includeinconsistencies in quality (moisture content, weight variation, densityvariation, etc.), rot, water absorption, and telegraphing seam lines dueto the difference in size of the luan backer relative to the finalproduct. Furthermore, as maintenance of the molds is required, the moldsare moved into and out of their various positions by way of a forkliftand roller dolly(s), which due to the size of the elongate mold, can bea difficult operation. The objects of the invention are therefore toovercome the shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention provides a new cladding panel that is easyto manufacture and addresses some of the problems found in the priorart.

[0009] In one method, called the hand-laid method, the cladding isformed by first introducing a layer of gel coat onto a mold surface. Thegel coat is preferably sprayed on the mold surface, either using a handsprayer or a reciprocator, then the getl coat is allowed to cure. Next,a layer of laminate (resin and chopped fiberglass fibers) material isisapplied sprayed on to the gelcoat, then a layer of core material(generally a mat) is de-reeled on to the uncured laminate. Once the corematerial is in place, a second layer of laminate is applied onto thecore material (again preferably using a reciprocator). Rollers are usedat various stages to press out any air between the layers, especiallyafter each resin/chop application and preferably after the core materialis added. The rollers may include automated rollers attached to thereciprocator, and preferably include a number of operators using handrollers as well. A light weight veil material is preferably laid ontothe second layer of laminate and rolled in to create a smooth back side.The resin is then cured to form the cladding material. Additionally, itmay be desirable to apply a veil on top of the gel coat layer for animproved exterior surface.

[0010] In another method, the vacuum infusion method, a layer of gelcoat is first cured onto a mold surface. A layer of dry fabric plymaterials is de-reeled onto the gel coated mold. The ply materialprefeably consistsing of a number of layers to achieve desiredproprteties. These layers preferably include of chopped one or morefibrous mats (such as glass mattings), one or more layers of corematting material, one or more layers of flow medium (optional), and oneof more layers of veil material (optional), all of which can optionallybe stitched together, are de-reeled onto the gel coated mold.Alternatively, such layers can be needled or adhesively or otherwisebonded. Less preferably, the layers may be merely placed on top of eachother. In any event, such bonding should not be visible on the surfacefo the molded part. Preferably the ply materials are generally dryplies.

[0011] After the ply materials are positioned on the mold, the mold isclosed by placing a silicone vacuum bag over the mold encompassing thegel coated surface and dry plies. The vacuum bag is sealed along theperimeter of the mold and vacuum is applied. Once substantially all ofthe air is thus removed from beneath the bag, back the resin deliverysystem is attached and resin is introduced in to the dry ply layers bysiphoning the resin into the vacuum bag due to the difference inatmospheric pressure. The vacuum bag is removed when the dry laminatematerial is substantially entirely infused with the resin component andpreferably after the resin has cured to at least the “gelled” point. Thecomplete structure is then preferably left on the mold until the resinis then fully cured, therein by forming the cladding panel.

[0012] The present invention offers many advantages over prior andcladding manufacturing processes. First, the cladding panels may beproduced without the seams commonly found in the prior art, while havinga good exterior surface, preferably without fiber prominence andpreferably forming a nearly perfect flat surface without visibleimperfections, such as waviness, seams, or visible surface markings frommanufacturing equipment. Also, the amount of waste associated withpost-production trimming processes is greatly reduced. Third, the vacuuminfusion process produces cladding panels with more consistent resincontent throughout the laminate. Fourth, the vacuum infusion process canbe precisely controlled in terms of the amount of resin delivered to thelaminate panel, thereby ensuring part-to-part consistency and decreasingresin waste. Fifth, the vacuum infusion process (close molding) preventsall volatile organic compounds from being emitted into the environment.Sixth, the water absorption and rotting associated with wood backers isnot applicable with an all-composite panel.

[0013] The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following disclosure in which one or more preferredembodiments of the invention are described in detail and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings. It is contemplated that variations inprocedures, structural features and arrangement of parts may appear to aperson skilled in the art without departing from the scope of orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 describes a hand-laid process for making a cladding panelaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a top view of a vacuum infusion mold containing a gelcoated layer and the dry ply layers according to another preferredembodiment of the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a section view of the laminate material of FIG. 2according to one preferred embodiment;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a section view of the laminate material of FIG. 2according to another preferred embodiment;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a side view of a portion of the vacuum infusion mold ofFIG. 2; and

[0019]FIG. 6 is a side view of another portion of the vacuum infusionmold of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown inFIG. 1 as a “hand-laid process” for making the cladding panel 10, themethod begins by activating a spray apparatus 14 such that a layer 16 ofa gel coat material is applied onto a mold surface 12. Preferably thegel coat layers are applied using a reciprocator, such as those sold byMagnum-Venus of Kent, Wa. Preferably, the wet layer 16 is applied at arate to produce a dry thickness of between approximately 0.3556 mm to0.4064 mm. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate,multiple spray apparatus 14 may be used to apply the gel coating toachieve the desired thickness. For example, two such apparatus may beused, in which each apparatus introduces approximately one half of thedesired thickness of the layer 16. Similarly, each apparatus 14 couldspray a gel-coating layer 16 at a different thickness, wherein the sumof the thickness of the layer 16 is within a desired range. The gelcoating is preferably a commercially available polyester orpolyester-based resin having low hazardous air pollutants (HAP's).Furthermore, the gel coat layers may be applied manually by an operator.

[0021] Layer 16 is allowed to set at room temperature (generally 80degrees Fahrenheit), whereby the gel coating is substantially cured. Thecuring conditions will depend upon numerous factors, including thecomposition of the gel coating and the thickness of the gel-coatinglayer 16. For a dry thickness of the finished gel-coating layer beingapproximately 14-16 mils according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the curing time is about 45 minutes at 80 degreesFahrenheit. Of course, the gel-coating layer 16 could be introducedthrough an oven 18 or using a heated mold surface, thereby acceleratingthe cure time of the gel-coated surface. In an alternative embodiment, afilm layer is applied to the mold in place of the gel coat layer, thefilm comprising an exterior grade film, and may include graphics for theRV sidewall. One example of such a commercially available film is SOLLX™film, available from GE Plastics.

[0022] As the gel coat layer 16 has adequately cured or exits the oven18, a laminate layer 20 is introduced to the layer 16 from a laminatemachine 22 having a desired thickness. The first laminate layer 20 isapproximately 45 to 50 mils in wet thickness and contains a resin and achopped fiber material introduced simultaneously through applicatordevices (nozzles) contained within the machine 20, such devicespreferably comprising one or more reciprocators, such as sold byMagnum-Venus of Kent, Wa. Preferably, the fiber material comprises glassfibers, natural fibers or synthetic fibers, each of which is used as acomposite reinforcement. Preferably the fibers comprise about 23-25% ofthe total weight of the laminate layer 20, but the glass content may behigher, up to 29% or more. Similarly, the fiber content could be lower,but the resulting laminate may require more resin, or may not haveadequate tensile strength or thermal properties. Alternatively, thelayer 20 may comprise chopped fibers, continuous fibers, or roll goodsmade from chopped or continuous fibers, or a combination of fibers androll goods. Further, the layer 20 may comprise a resin-impregnated sheetof reinforcement material. The sheet 12 having layers 16 and 20 are thenintroduced through a series of roller mechanisms 24 or similar devicesknown to those of skill in the art to remove air from within thelaminate layer 20. Such roller mechanisms may comprise automated rollerssuch as those available from Magnum Venus with its reciprocators, and/ormay comprise operators using manual rollers. Preferably the sheet isrolled after each layer of laminate is applied.

[0023] A preferred The chopped fiber material is preferably a choppedglass fiber material in roving, continuous filament or strand form, andis chopped to approximately 1 inch in length. Some preferred choppedfiber materials include chopped 207 Roving, chopped strand matting, andchopped continuous filaments, all available from Owens Corning in manyforms.

[0024] The resin material is preferably a polyester modified resin thatcures at ambient temperatures. The resin may contain approximately 1-2%by weight MEKP (methyl ethyl ketone peroxide) as a curing agentdepending upon ambient conditions.

[0025] As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, multiplelaminate machines 20 and rollers 24 may be used in series to apply thelaminate layer 20 to achieve the desired wet thickness. For example, twolaminate machines 22 and two roller mechanism 24 sets may be used inseries, in which each laminate, machine 22 introduces portion of thedesired thickness of the laminate layer 20. As such, each laminatemachine 22 may apply a different thickness, or the same thickness, ofthe laminate material such that the sum total of all the applications iswithin the desired wet thickness range.

[0026] Next, a core material 26 is preferably laid onto the laminatelayer 20, and such that substantially all the air is removed between thelaminate layer 20 and core material 26. A roller mechanism (not shown)or similar device may be used to ensure that substantially all of theair is removed between the laminate layer 20 and core material 26, or avacuum system may be utilized to remove excess air.

[0027] The core material 26 consists of core glass fiber bound togetherwith a binder resin. A preferred The core glass fiber for use in thecore material 26 preferably has a nominal length of about 15.875 mm(0.625 inches) and has a diameter of approximately 13 micrometers. Thebinder resin is preferably a modified polyvinylacrylate, acrylic, orequivalent binder resin. Two preferred core materials include C2050-KA15and C2035-KA05, each commercially available from Owens Corning. In analternative embodiment (not shown), the core material 26 includes asecond layer to replace the glass in the laminate layer 20.

[0028] Preferably, a second layer of laminate material 28 is thenintroduced from a second laminate machine 30 onto the core material 26.The second layer of laminate material preferably has a composition thatis similar to that of the first layer of laminate material 20, and isapplied to a wet thickness similar to that of the first layer 22. Aroller mechanism 32 is used to push out air from the second laminatelayer 28. As described above, a series of laminate machines and/orroller mechanisms may be used to ensure that the laminate layer 28 isair free and of proper thickness. It may optionally also be desirable toapply a resin-coat to the top of the laminate material to fully wet outthe laminate material and the veil described below. In a furtheralternative embodiment (not shown), the second laminate layer isattached to the core material, preferably on the opposite side to whicha first laminate is likewise attached.

[0029] Next, a light-facing veil 34 is preferably applied to the secondlaminate layer 28. The addition of the light-facing veil 34 provides asmooth desirable finish for the cladding panel 10. The veil 34 alsoprovides a smooth surface for bonding. A roller mechanism 36 lightlypresses the veil 34 to ensure complete wetout of the resin component ofthe laminate material of the second layer 28 within the interstices ofthe veil 34. Similarly, a similar veil may be provided adjacent the gelcoat layer 16, to provide for an improved exterior surface. In analternative embodiment, one or more of such veils may be attached to thelaminate layers, and/or to the core material as described above.

[0030] The light-facing veil 34 comprises a chopped fiber strand havingan acrylic, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or urea/formaldehyde binder systemand a strand thickness of approximately 11 to 13 microns in diameter.One veil 34 that may be used is C40S-XD34, a chopped glass fiber strandhaving a modified polyvinyl alcohol and acrylic binder system and fiberstrand thickness of approximately 11 microns. C40S-XD34 is a productcommercially available from Owens Corning. In an alternative embodiment,a similar veil may be applied between the gel coat layer and thelaminate layers. Finally, the part is then allowed to sit tosubstantially cure the resin components of the laminate layers 20, 28,therein forming the cladding panel 10. Preferably, this occurs inapproximately 60 to 90 minutes, depending upon the ambient conditions onthe manufacturing line and the composition of the resin. Although notshown here, a vacuum bag may be applied to the backside of the layersprior to, or during, cure. Heat and/or UV may be applied to promote thecure of the resin. Such a process may be formed on a stationary mold, orin a moving mold, or in a continuous process as described in the Millerapplications referenced above.

[0031] The cladding panel 10 formed according to the process of FIG. 1offers numerous advantages over the prior art. First, a cladding panel10 may be produced without the seams commonly found in the prior art.Also, the amount of waste associated with post-production trimmingprocesses is greatly reduced. Thirdly, the surface of the panel isimproved. Fourth, the properties of the panel may be tailored to theapplication, such that the layers may impart strength or performancecharacteristics for particular customer applications. Additionally,although not shown, a customer may require cutouts (e.g. for a window),and such a panel may include a provision in the mold or an insert on topof the mold to for the cutout, or to limit the amount of resin and/orreinforcement that is discarded when making such a cutout.

[0032] Another preferred method for making a cladding panel 50, as shownin FIGS. 2-6 below, utilizes a vacuum infusion process for making thecladding panel. The vacuum infusion process offers substantialimprovement in terms of part-to-part efficiency and limits the amount ofscrap as compared with normal cladding panel production processes.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, a process for making the cladding panel 50begins by applying a wet layer of gel coating 56 to a mold surface 58 ofa tool 65 at a desired wet thickness. The mold surface 58 is largeenough to form an entire cladding panel 50 and typically has a sizeranging from 180 to 350 square feet. As shown above in FIG. 1, the gelcoating 56 is preferably applied using a spray apparatus. Preferably,the thickness of the gel coating 56 is between approximately 0.18 and0.20 inches wet. Edge masking tape (not shown) is added to an outerportion 59 of the mold surface 58 to catch overspray from theaccumulated gel coat material. Preferably, polypropylene edge maskingshields are attached to gel coating spray equipment to prevent marringor scratching of the tool surface while controlling overspray on edges.The composition of the gel coating 56 is similar to the gel-coatinglayer 16 of FIG. 1 and is allowed to cure at ambient temperatures forabout 45 minutes (depending upon gel coat composition and ambientconditions). The edge masking sheets are then removed, thereby exposingthe outer portion 59 of the mold surface 58. It may also be preferred toremove the masking tape prior to the gel coat 56 completing its cure. Asnoted above, a film may be applied in place of the gel coat layer andmay include custom graphics.

[0034] Now referring to a preferred mold design for an infusion process,an outer portion 59 on one side (shown as the upper side of FIG. 2) ofthe mold surface 58 also has an injection port 60 coupled to a resinholding tank 61 that contains a quantity of resin 62. The opposite side63 of the outer portion 59 of the tool 65 has one or more vacuum ports64 coupled to a vacuum source (not shown). It may be preferred that theresin injection port(s) 60 and vacuum port(s) 64 be designed to accessthe distribution netting 90 and vacuum netting 92 through the siliconevacuum bag 94.

[0035] Next, a layer of dry plies materials 72 is laid onto the curedgel coated layer 56. As shown in FIG. 3, the dry plies layer of plymaterial 72 preferably includes a number of layers. In a preferredembodiment, the layer of ply materials 72 comprises a first choppedglass fiber layer 74, a core material layer 76, a second glass fiberlayer 78, and a veil layer 80 (optional) preferably stitched togetherusing a stitching material 82. The stitching material 82 is preferably amaterial that minimizes the potential for preferential shrinking at thestitching sites. One preferred stitching material 82 is apolyester-based multifilament yarn. As noted above, the layerspreferably each comprise a glass fiber layer.

[0036] The first and second chopped glass fiber layer 74, 78 preferablycomprise a wide variety of glass or polymer fiber types chopped toapproximately 1 inch in length. One preferable chopped material used inthe glass layer 74, 78 comprises gun-roving chop of approximately 2inches in length.

[0037] The core material layer 76 preferably comprises a core glassfiber bound together with a binder resin. The core glass fiberpreferably has a nominal length of about 0.625 inches having a diameterof approximately 13 micrometers. The binder resin is preferably amodified polyvinylacrylate, acrylic, or equivalent binder resin. Twopreferred core materials include C2050KA15 and C2035KA05, eachcommercially available from Owens Corning. While the core material layer76 is shown as one layer in FIG. 3, it may consist of multiple thinnerlayers such that the total thickness substantially corresponds to thethickness as shown in FIG. 3 and may be preferable to allow the resin 62to more easily penetrate the layer 76 during the infusion processdescribed below.

[0038] The optional veil layer 80 is substantially similar to the lightfacing veil 34 of FIG. 1 above.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a flow mediumlayer 77 may be introduced between two layers of core material 76. Theflow medium layer 77 consists of a 3 dimensional woven fabric made ofeither glass or polyester fibers or a combination of glass and polyesterfibers, a needle punched layer, or other such open-structure layer.Exemplary flow media include EnkaFusion® Matting, Enkamat®, Colbond®,Polybeam™, Lantor Soric®, Divinymat®, or other commercially availableflow media. The layer 77 provides an additional flow path for the resin62 used in the infusion process described below in that it liesperpendicular to the length of the adjacent layers 76 during theinfusion process and may be compressed into a thinner layer when the dryplies layer 72 is compressed during the resin infusion process as willbe described in more detail below.

[0040] Referring back to FIG. 2, a reusable distribution netting, orinjection netting 90, is placed on one side of the mold surface 58 tocover the injection port 60. Also, a vacuum netting 92 is placed on theopposite side 63 of the outer portion 59 to covers vacuum ports 64. Areusable vacuum bag 94 is then placed on top of the dry laminate andsealed to the outer portion 59 of the tool 65, therein defining achamber 96 between the vacuum bag 94, outer portion 59, and mold surface58. As best shown in FIG. 5, an infusion system support frame 98 islowered and coupled to the tool 65. A bolt 100 compresses the bag 94 tothe frame 98 using a steel strap (not shown). An injection fitting (notshown) is then attached to the injection port 60 in a manner well knownin the art. The injection fitting is coupled to the injection reservoircontaining the resin 72.

[0041] Alternatively, the infusion may be performed using a distributionmedia system, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,215 to Seeman, orusing a core with channels, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,034 to Seemanet al, or using a mold with conduits, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No.6,406,659 and publication 20020146529 to Lang et al, each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Each such system maybe referred to generally as a vacuum infusion system.

[0042] The reusable vacuum bag 94 is made of a flexible material that iscapable of sealing to and compressing the dry plies layer 72 when avacuum is introduced to the chamber 96 through the vacuum ports 64. Thebag 94 should not stick to the resin 62 component that is introducedthrough the injection port 60 during the vacuum infusion process,thereby allowing the bag 94 to be reused in subsequent operations. Onepreferred reusable bag 94 is a solid sheet of platinum cured silicon.Another is a semi-rigid thin composite bag of woven fiberglass andeither a polyester or vinyl ester resin. One skilled in the artappreciates the bag could alternatively comprise a more durable upperdie, preferably made from a tooling material, such as a composite die

[0043] For each vacuum port 64, a vacuum trap is required for collectingexcess resin 62. As shown in FIG. 6, the vacuum traps are heavy weightpolypropylene funnels 112 that are rated for vacuum. The funnel 112slips directly into a bag fitting and seals to the fitting. For eachfunnel 112 a top 116 made of polypropylene that has a recess 118machined into it for the sealing to the funnel 112. A vacuum fitting 120is attached to the top 116 that is coupled to the vacuum source (notshown).

[0044] The funnel 112 is attached to the bag 94 through a pair ofthreaded polypropylene bulked flanged fittings 106, 108 that sandwichthe bag 94 between the fitting. The use of polypropylene ensures therelease of any resin 62 that collects in the fittings 106, 108. Eachfitting 106, 108 preferably utilizes an RTV silicone sealer 110.

[0045] To form the cladding 50, a vacuum is then applied through thevacuum ports 64 by the vacuum source. The vacuum allows injected resin62, which is maintained at a viscosity preferably of no greater than 175centipoise, to flow along a path of least resistance from the injectionport 60 towards the vacuum port 64. The vacuum pressure is maintainedbetween 25 and 35 inches of mercury pressure (roughly corresponding to14 pounds per square foot of vacuum pressure), and more preferablybetween approximately 26 and 29 inches. Thus, the resin 62, shown byarrows on FIG. 2, first enters the injection netting 90 through theinjection port 60 and is distributed along the length of the injectionnetting 90. The resin 62 then proceeds into the dry ply layers 72towards the vacuum ports 64, thereby infusing the dry laminate layerwith resin 62. The vacuum netting 92 substantially prevents the flow ofthe resin 62 through the vacuum port 64.

[0046] The resin 62 that is injected is preferably a polyester modifiedresin that cures at ambient temperatures similar to the resin materialcontained with laminate layers 22, 28 of FIG. 1. As described above, theresin 62 has a viscosity of no greater than 175 centipoise to allow itto flow freely through the ply 72. The resin 62 is chosen from a widevariety of ambiently curable resins that are common to the wall panelindustry. One commercially available resin that meets these criteria isCoREZYN COR 45-222-024, available from Interplastic. Anothercommercially available resin is R834-DPE-12, a low shrink resin transfermolding (RTM) polyester resin available from AOC.

[0047] While the resin 62 is being infused, the bag 94 is suckeddownward and compresses the dry ply materials 72 as a function of theamount of vacuum applied through the vacuum ports 64. By controlling theamount of vacuum applied, the thickness of the infused laminatematerial, and hence the thickness of the cladding panel 50, can beprecisely controlled. As described above, the presence of the flowmedium layer 77 provides an additional flow path for the resin 62 evenas the bag 94 compresses the dry ply layer 72.

[0048] After infusion process is completed and the resin has cured tothe point of gelling, the vacuum is removed and the injection port 60closed. The infusion support frame 98 is lifted and the bag 94 uncoupledfrom the surface ply materials 72 and outer surface 59. The resin 62 isthen allowed to cure within the laminate structure to form the claddingpanel 50. Typically, the curing process takes approximately 45 to 60minutes, depending upon manufacturing line conditions. Alternatively, aheated mold could be used to expedite the process, or a UV-curable resinmay be used. The cladding panel 50 may then be removed from the moldsurface 58 and trimmed along its edges to its desired size to remove anyresidual flashing. Additionally, the mold could be configured to includeprovisions for cutouts (such as windows in the RV), or discardableinserts be added within the mold, so as to minimize the amount of moldedcomposite material to be discarded.

[0049] While illustrated in a stationary mold, the invention may bepracticed using moving molds or in a continuous process such as taughtin the Miller applications, although not illustrated here. In such asystem, a moving mold (or continuous belt) is provided with discretevacuum bags provided thereabove. The bags are connected to a vacuumsource to permit injection of the resin and/or to ensure substantiallyall air is evacuated and/or to promote complete infusion, while ensuringthat cure is properly promoted.

[0050] The cladding panel 50 formed according to the process of FIGS.2-6 offers numerous advantages over the prior art. First, a claddingpanel 50 may be produced without the seams commonly found in the priorart. Also, the amount of waste associated with post-production trimmingprocesses is greatly reduced. Third, the vacuum infusion processproduces cladding panels 50 with a more consistent resin contentthroughout the laminate. Fourth, the vacuum infusion process can beprecisely controlled in terms of the amount of resin delivered to thelaminate panel, thereby ensuring part-to-part consistency and decreasingresin waste. Fifth, the vacuum infusion process (close molding)substantially prevents VOC's associated with the delivery of the resinfrom being emitted into the environment. Sixth, the water absorption androtting associated with wood backers is not applicable with anall-composite panel.

[0051] While the invention has been described in terms of preferredembodiments, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is notlimited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in theart, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for forming a seamless cladding panelcomprising: providing a mold having a mold surface; providing a coatinglayer onto said mold surface to a first desired dry thickness;introducing a first laminate layer onto said coating layer at a firstdesired thickness; introducing a core material onto said first laminatelayer, said core material comprising a plurality of fibers; introducinga second laminate layer onto said core material at a second desiredthickness, said first laminate layer and said second laminate layer eachcomprising a resin and a fiber material; optionally introducing a lightfacing veil onto said second laminate layer, said light facing veilcomprising a fibrous strand and a binder system, wherein a portion ofsaid resin of said second laminate layer substantially wets out saidfibrous strand; and curing a resin of said first laminate layer and saidsecond laminate layer.
 2. A method for forming a seamless cladding panelaccording to claim 1, wherein said coating layer comprises a wet layerof gel coating.
 3. A method for forming a seamless cladding panelaccording to claim 2, wherein said gel coating is substantially curedbefore introducing said laminate layer.
 4. A method for forming aseamless cladding panel according to claim 3, wherein said core materialcomprises a plurality of glass fibers bound together with a binderresin.
 5. A method for forming a seamless cladding panel according toclaim 4, wherein said first laminate layer and said second laminatelayer each comprises an ambiently curable resin and a chopped fibermaterial.
 6. The method of claim 2, wherein said gel coating comprisesan ambiently curable polyester-based resin.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein said coating layer comprises a dry film material
 8. The methodof claim 3, wherein said substantially curing said gel coating layercomprises ambiently curing said gel coating layer at 80 degreesFahrenheit for about forty five minutes.
 9. The method of claim 3,wherein substantially curing said gel coating layer comprises ovencuring said gel coating layer.
 10. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising removing trapped air within said first laminate layer priorto introducing said core material.
 11. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid first laminate layer has a wet thickness between approximately 0.45and 0.50 inches.
 12. The method of claim 5, wherein the fiber materialcomprises between approximately 23 and 25 weight percent of said firstlaminate layer prior to curing said curable resin.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein said fiber material comprises between approximately 23and 25 weight percent of said second laminate layer prior to curing saidambiently curable resin.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said fibermaterial in said first laminate layer is selected from the groupconsisting of chopped roving strands, chopped continuous filamentstrands, chopped glass strands, chopped glass strand matting, andcombinations thereof.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said fibermaterial comprises a chopped fiber material having a length ofapproximately one inch.
 16. The method of claim 5, wherein saidambiently curable resin comprises an ambiently curable modifiedpolyester resin.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said ambientlycurable modified polyester resin comprises between 98 and 99 weightpercent of an ambiently curable modified polyester resin and between 1and 2 weight percent of a methyl ethyl ketone peroxide curing agent. 18.The method of claim 1, wherein said first laminate layer comprises aplurality of first laminate layers.
 19. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid second laminate layer comprises a plurality of second laminatelayers.
 20. The method of claim 4, wherein said core material comprisesa plurality of glass fibers having an average nominal length of about0.625 inches.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said plurality ofglass fibers comprising said core material have an average diameter ofabout 13 micrometers.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said bindermaterial comprising said core material is selected from the groupconsisting of a modified polyvinylacrylate binder material and anacrylic binder material.
 23. The method of claim 1, wherein said lightfacing veil comprises chopped fiber strand having an average diameter ofabout 11 to 13 microns.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said bindersystem of said light facing veil is selected from the group consistingof an acrylic binder system, a polyvinyl alcohol binder system, and aurea/formaldehyde binder system.
 25. The method of claim 1, wherein thesteps of introducing said laminate layers comprises the steps ofproviding fibrous reinforcement on each side of the core material, andsubsequently vacuum infusing a resin to wet out the fibrousreinforcement.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of providingsaid laminate layers comprises placing a first glass fiber mat on saidcoating layer and a second glass fiber mat on said core material.
 27. Aseamless composite backer-less cladding panel comprising: a coatinglayer; a first laminate layer laid onto said coating layer; a corematerial laid onto said first laminate layer, said core materialcomprising a plurality of fibers bound together; a second laminate layerlaid onto said core material, wherein said first laminate layer and saidsecond laminate layer each comprises a curable resin and a fibermaterial; and an optional light facing veil laid on said second laminatelayer, said light facing veil comprising a fiber strand and a bindersystem, wherein a portion of said curable resin of said second laminatelayer substantially wets out said chopped fiber strand.
 28. The seamlesscladding panel of claim 27, wherein said coating comprises a curedpolyester-based resin.
 29. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27,wherein said coating has a dry thickness of between about 0.14 and 0.16inches.
 30. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said firstlaminate layer and said second laminate layer are substantially airfree.
 31. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said firstlaminate layer has a wet thickness between approximately 0.45 and 0.50inches.
 32. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said fibermaterial comprises between approximately 23 and 25 weight percent ofsaid first laminate layer prior to curing a resin of said laminatelayer.
 33. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said fiberscomprises between approximately 23 and 25 weight percent of said secondlaminate layer prior to curing a resin of said second laminate layer.34. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said fiber materialin said first laminate layer is selected from the group consisting ofchopped roving strands, chopped continuous filament strands, choppedglass strands, chopped glass strand matting, and combinations thereof.35. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said laminatelayers comprise an ambiently curable modified polyester resin.
 36. Theseamless cladding panel of claim 35, wherein said curable modifiedpolyester resin further comprises a methyl ethyl ketone peroxide curingagent.
 37. The seamless cladding panel of claim 36, wherein said methylethyl ketone peroxide curing agent comprises between 1 and 2 weightpercent of said resin.
 38. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27,wherein said first laminate layer comprises a plurality of laminatelayers.
 39. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said secondlaminate layer comprises a plurality of laminate layers.
 40. Theseamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein said fibers of said corematerial comprise glass fibers having an average nominal length of about0.625 inches.
 41. The seamless cladding panel of claim 40, wherein saidfibers of said core material have an average diameter of about 13micrometers.
 42. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27, wherein saidcore material comprises a binder material selected from the groupconsisting of a modified polyvinylacrylate binder material and anacrylic binder material.
 43. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27,wherein said light facing veil comprises chopped fiber strand having anaverage diameter of about 11 to 13 microns.
 44. The seamless claddingpanel of claim 27, wherein said light facing veil comprises a binderselected from the group consisting of an acrylic binder system, apolyvinyl alcohol binder system, and a urea/formaldehyde binder system.45. The seamless cladding panel of claim 27 manufactured using a vacuuminfusion process.
 46. A seamless composite backer-less cladding panelcomprising: a coating layer; a first laminate layer laid onto saidcoating layer; a core material laid onto said first laminate layer, saidcore material comprising a plurality of fibers bound together; a secondlaminate layer laid onto said core material said first laminate layerand said second laminate layer each comprising a resin and a pluralityof chopped fiber material; and an optional light facing veil laid ontosaid second laminate layer, said light facing veil comprising a choppedfiber strand and a binder system, wherein a portion of said ambientlycurable resin of said second laminate layer substantially wets out saidchopped fiber strand.
 47. A seamless composite backer-less claddingpanel according to claim 46, wherein said resin of said laminate layersis provided through vacuum infusion.
 48. A method for forming a seamlesscladding panel comprising: providing a mold having a mold surface, saidmold surface having an outer portion, said outer portion having a firstside and a second side, said first side having an injection port andsaid second side of said mold surface having at least one vacuum port;providing a layer of coating to said mold surface in a substantially dryform; introducing a layer of plies onto said coating layer, said layerof dry plies comprising a first fiber layer, a core material layer, anoptional flow medium layer, a second fiber layer, and an optional veillayer; introducing an injection netting within said mold to cover saidinjection port, said injection netting located between said injectionport and said wet layer; introducing a vacuum netting with said mold tocover said at least one vacuum port, said vacuum netting located betweensaid at least one vacuum port and said wet layer; coupling a vacuum bagonto said layer of dry plies within said mold, sealing coupling saidvacuum bag to said outer portion, therein forming a chamber definedwithin said mold between said outer portion, said vacuum bag, and saidmold surface; coupling a vacuum source to said at least one vacuum port;introducing a vacuum pressure through said vacuum port; introducing anambiently curable binder resin through said injection port to infusesaid layer of dry plies; wherein said vacuum pressure seals said vacuumbag to said layer of dry plies such that said vacuum bag compresses saidlayer of dry plies to a desired thickness; removing said vacuumpressure; closing said injection port; curing said ambiently curablebinder resin to form the seamless cladding panel within said mold; andremoving the seamless cladding panel from said mold.
 49. The method ofclaim 48, wherein said coating comprises an ambiently curablepolyester-based resin applied to said mold surface and substantiallycured thereon prior to introducing said plies.
 50. The method of claim49, wherein said coating has a dry thickness is between about 0.18 and0.20 inches.
 51. The method of claim 50, wherein substantially curingsaid gel coating layer comprises ambiently curing said gel coating layerat ambient temperature for about forty five minutes.
 52. The method ofclaim 50, wherein substantially curing said gel coating layer comprisesambiently curing said gel coating layer at ambient temperature for aboutsixty minutes.
 53. The method of claim 48, wherein said first fiberlayer comprises chopped fibers having an average length of between about1 and 2 inches.
 54. The method of claim 49, wherein said first fiberlayer comprises gun roving chopped glass having an average length ofabout 2 inches.
 55. The method of claim 48, wherein said first fiberlayer comprises chopped polymer fibers.
 56. The method of claim 48,wherein said first fiber layer comprises chopped glass fibers.
 57. Themethod of claim 48, wherein said core material layer comprises a coreglass fiber bound with a binder resin.
 58. The method of claim 57,wherein the core glass fiber has a nominal length of about 0.625 inchesand a diameter of about 13 micrometers.
 59. The method of claim 57,wherein said core material layer comprises a plurality of core materiallayers.
 60. The method of claim 57, wherein said core material comprisesa binder resin selected from the group consisting of an acrylic binderresin and a modified polyvinylacrylate binder resin.
 61. The method ofclaim 48, wherein said optional flow medium layer comprises athree-dimensional woven fabric layer.
 62. The method of claim 61 whereinsaid three-dimensional woven fabric layer comprises a three-dimensionalwoven glass fiber fabric layer.
 63. The method of claim 61, wherein saidthree-dimensional woven fabric layer comprises a three-dimensional wovenpolyester fiber fabric layer.
 64. The method of claim 48, wherein saidveil layer comprises a chopped fiber strand and a binder system.
 65. Themethod of claim 64, wherein said chopped fiber strand of said lightfacing veil has an average diameter of about 11 to 13 microns.
 66. Themethod of claim 64, wherein said binder system of said light facing veilis selected from the group consisting of an acrylic binder system, apolyvinyl alcohol binder system, and a urea/formaldehyde binder system67. The method of claim 48, wherein said ambiently curable binder resinis injected at a viscosity not to exceed about 175 centipoise.
 68. Themethod of claim 48, wherein said ambiently curable binder resincomprises a polyester modified ambiently curable binder resin.
 69. Themethod of claim 48, wherein said vacuum pressure is maintained betweenabout 25 and 35 inches of mercury pressure as said ambiently curablebinder resin is being injected.
 70. The method of claim 48, wherein saidvacuum pressure is maintained between about 29 and 33 inches of mercurypressure as said ambiently curable binder resin is being injected. 71.The method of claim 48, wherein curing said ambiently curable binderresin comprises maintaining said mold at ambient temperatures for about45 to 60 minutes.
 72. A seamless cladding panel made in accordance withthe method of claim
 1. 73. A seamless cladding panel made in accordancewith the method of claim
 48. 74. A seamless cladding panel comprising: acoating layer; and a resin infused and compressed plies layer, saidlayer of plies comprising a first fiber layer, a core material layer, anoptional flow medium layer, a second fiber layer, and an optional veillayer, said layers optionally being stitched together with a stitchingmaterial.
 75. The seamless cladding panel of claim 74, wherein saidcoating comprises an ambiently curable polyester-based resin gel coat.76. The seamless cladding panel of claim 74, wherein said first fiberlayer comprises chopped fibers having an average length of between about1 and 2 inches.
 77. The seamless cladding panel of claim 74, whereinsaid first fiber layer comprises one of the group consisting of choppedglass fibers and chopped polymer fibers.
 78. The seamless cladding panelof claim 76, wherein said first fiber layer comprises gun roving choppedglass having an average length of about 2 inches
 79. The seamlesscladding panel of claim 74, wherein said core material layer comprises acore glass fiber bound with a binder resin.
 80. The seamless claddingpanel of claim 79, wherein core glass fiber has a nominal length ofabout 0.625 inches and a diameter of about 13 micrometers.
 81. Theseamless cladding panel of claim 79, wherein said core material layercomprises a plurality of core material layers.
 82. The seamless claddingpanel of claim 79, wherein said binder resin is selected from the groupconsisting of an acrylic binder resin and a modified polyvinylacrylatebinder resin.
 83. The seamless cladding panel of claim 74, wherein saidoptional flow medium layer comprises a three-dimensional woven fabriclayer.
 84. The seamless cladding panel of claim 83, wherein saidthree-dimensional woven fabric layer comprises a three-dimensional wovenglass fiber fabric layer.
 85. The seamless cladding panel of claim 83,wherein said three-dimensional woven fabric layer comprises athree-dimensional woven polyester fiber fabric layer.
 86. The seamlesscladding panel of claim 74, wherein said veil layer comprises a choppedfiber strand and a binder system.
 87. The seamless cladding panel ofclaim 86, wherein said chopped fiber strand of said light facing veilhas an average diameter of about 11 to 13 microns.
 88. The seamlesscladding panel of claim 87, wherein said binder system of said lightfacing veil is selected from the group consisting of an acrylic bindersystem, a polyvinyl alcohol binder system, and a urea/formaldehydebinder system
 89. The seamless cladding panel of claim 74, wherein saidambiently curable binder resin comprises a polyester modified ambientlycurable binder resin.
 90. A method for forming a seamless cladding panelcomprising: providing a mold having a mold surface, said mold surfacehaving an outer portion, said outer portion having a first side and asecond side, said first side having an injection port and said secondside of said mold surface having at least one vacuum port; providing alayer of coating to said mold surface in a substantially dry form;introducing a layer of plies onto said coating layer, said layer of dryplies comprising a first fiber layer, a core material layer, an optionalflow medium layer, a second fiber layer, and an optional veil layer;coupling a vacuum bag onto said layer of dry plies within said mold,said bag defining a plurality of resin flow channels, sealing couplingsaid vacuum bag to said outer portion, therein forming a chamber definedwithin said mold between said outer portion, said vacuum bag, and saidmold surface; coupling a vacuum source to said at least one vacuum port;introducing a vacuum pressure through said vacuum port; introducing ancurable binder resin through said injection port to infuse said layer ofdry plies; wherein said vacuum pressure seals said vacuum bag to saidlayer of dry plies such that said vacuum bag compresses said layer ofdry plies to a desired thickness; removing said vacuum pressure; closingsaid injection port; curing said curable binder resin to form theseamless cladding panel within said mold; and removing the seamlesscladding panel from said mold.